By Britt Carson Naperville Sun
The votes were in. Gina Glocksen survived the first round of cuts Thursday on "American Idol."
After hearing the news, a relieved Glocksen said, "Thank you, thank you" to the crowd.
Two women and two men were eliminated in Thursday's show and Glocksen was quick to comfort Nicole Tranquillo after she gave her final performance. In addition to Tranquillo, Amy Krebs, Paul Kim and Rudy Cardenas also were voted off the show. Thirty-two million people voted during the competition.
On Wednesday, Glocksen impressed judges Paul Abdul and Randy Jackson with her performance.
It was Glocksen's first full solo performance on national TV, singing the 1997 hit single "All by Myself" by Celine Dion. It was a daring song choice, the judges said, since it requires a wide vocal range.
"I loved what you did, Gina," Jackson said. "That was a big song to go with your big old voice. I was surprised."
The 22-year-old Naperville native even impressed herself. When asked by show host Ryan Seacrest what her confidence level was before her performance, she gauged it at a "6." But she said her performance was worth a "12."
Of course, judge Simon Cowell disagreed.
"There's a different side to you ... but I don't think you hit that right note," Cowell said.
Not that it matters now. The bold song that matched Glocksen's flamboyant personality earned her another opportunity to perform live, competing with nine other women this Wednesday on Fox. The remaining male contestants will perform Tuesday. The total number of contestants is now down to 20.
Glocksen, who has tried out for other "American Idol" seasons but was rejected early in the game, did show a little frustration with the analysis Wednesday by Cowell, who she claimed to have a crush on in earlier episodes.
"Whether I was off or on, I think I did good," she said in response to Seacrest's questions.
Apparently "American Idol" viewers agreed.
Staff writer Mike Mitchell contributed to this report.
Contact Britt Carson at bcarson@scn1.com or 630-416-5269.
I wonder what you all think about what this person said on an earlier post.
Gina must change her look if she wants to make it to the final 12. She must get rid of her punky red stripe, try to lose a few pounds in the next couple of weeks, and soften her in-your-face attitude. Her voice can be beautiful, and I believe Simon was wrong when he said she didn't reach the high note. Celine Dion is a superstar, Gina is just staring out.
Guess What? Gina Glocksen's boyfriend is my Honors Biology teacher!! And he dyed his hair red as a bet with Gina if she makes it to the top 24... and she did, so now his hair is dyed red just like hers!! It's pretty sweet. Yeah so um you should all vote for her because I think she's really awesome!!!!
I love Gina's red highlights... they're unique and really cool!!! I also think her weight is PERFECT!!! I love to see someone w/ a lil' meat on their bones. She is not BIG or overweight by ANY means and it's nice to see images other than the Olsen twins!!! ROCK ON GINA!!!!!
Gina was awesome! I love her!